Marie A. Laverriere
My Background
I am fully retired. I turned 70 in August of 2026. I had a career as a licensed clinical social worker for almost 25 years. I also worked as an Interfaith Chaplain for about three years in a county jail while I lived in New Mexico for 7 years. I started my career later in life, I was 30 when I first attended college and finally decided to stop at 50 years of age. I did work throughout my undergraduate and graduate school years. I truly enjoyed attending college and accumulated four academic degrees BSW, MSW, MA in Pastoral Ministry and Doctorate in Ministry. In my two ministry degrees my concentration was in spirituality. In addition to my formal education I’m trained as a spiritual director with the Shalem Institute and also trained as a Reiki Master.
My Journey
In 2019 I moved into a tiny cottage across the street from the ocean/beach in coastal southern Maine with my dog. This is when I started to simplify my life. I had to purge my possessions and get rid of about 95% of my stuff. I kept only what I needed and some things that I enjoyed having. It all had to fit neatly and easily in my small space (293 square feet). I then started to feel the need to simplify my finances, my thoughts and my use of time. In doing all this I started to feel that I had created the space to see things from a different perspective. I can honestly say that simplifying my life was the beginning of my spiritual practice. The experience was very powerful for me and so I wrote and published two books “Minimalism for Wellbeing: A Guide to Simplifying All Facets of Your Life” and “A Journey to Authenticity: Finding Freedom, Peace & Joy”. Both of these books captured what I can best describe as a new beginning for me. Living with simplicity became a wonderful experience and in May of 2025, I decided to write and publish my third book “Living With Simplicity & Discovering What Matters”.
There is power in knowing that we have choices that we can make in every moment of our lives. I can choose not to be fearful and to feel joy, we always have choices even when life is not easy. As I age, I feel the need to create my life to fit the person that I am as well as tend to my needs in a kinder way than I did when I was younger and full of energy.
I offer a Sharing below on the Sacred & Mystical experiences available to us when we live simply, slow down our pace of life and live in the moment.
MONTHLY SHARING October 2026
Living With Simplicity
an excerpt from my book Living With Simplicity & Discovering What Matters, 2025 (pages 79-80)
If I were to define "living with simplicity" I would say that it's living my life as simply and as uncluttered as possible, with peace and calm. I'm not just talking about physical clutter like with my possessions but also about decluttering my understanding in these areas of my life: What do I value in my life, and how do I incorporate it all in my daily living? Who am I? Not an easy question to answer but well worth reflecting upon. Making certain that I have knowledge of the ins and outs of my finances. How do I choose to use my time? Working on my thoughts to be more positive. Understading what gives my life meaning. How do I allow my passion to flow through creativity, and how I take care of myself (my health).
My choice to live with simplicity slowly came into being after I moved into my tiny cottage on the southern coast of Maine, seven years ago, but my desire for simplicity has always been within me. Living with simplicity is both a decision and a choice we make. As I have said before, people live with simplicity in many different ways because it's very personal. We can live in a huge home and still live simply because I believe choosing to live this way is an inner expression of how we want to show up on this planet. I love keeping my life as simple as I can. I enjoy being present in each moment, and I appreciate the freedom to choose the pace of my life and how and with whom I spend my time. However, sometimes things happen, and we have to go through them as best we can, and hopefully we can return to our simple life sooner than later.
Twists & Turns
Life sure has a way of throwing us curveballs.
I have had my share, and when I reflect on my journey,
I see how sometimes the curveballs were responsible
for wonderful experiences that I would never have had
without the unexpected twists and turns.
I have a YouTube channel that I started in 2022 on a variety of ideas in living a simple life and other practical things. I also share information on my spiritual journey. You can view it at: YouTube.com/@livingasimplelife.
Meet my dog Henry as he sits in his pose.